“Who wants to be saved?” demanded the
smaller girl, looking up at the three older ones out
of the hood of the shawl she had clung to so desperately.
“What youse savin’ me from?”

Bess grew more excited. “Why, Nan!”
she cried. “It is—­it must be!
Don’t you see who she is?”

Nan was already looking down into the dark, shrewd
and thin countenance of the little one with a smile
of recognition. It was Inez, the little flower-girl,
whom she had so fortunately pulled out of the way of
the automobile.

“Say! if I don’t have nothin’ worse
than that I’ll do fine,” croaked the little
girl, carelessly. “But I never expected
to see youse tony folks again.”

“Why, Inez!” exclaimed Bess. “And
we’ve been hunting all over for you.”

“Goodness me!” burst out Grace Mason.
“You don’t mean to say that this is the
poor little thing we’ve been in such a fuss about?”

“Of course she is,” Bess replied.

“This is positively Inez,” laughed Nan,
squeezing the little one’s cold hand in her
own. “Aren’t you glad to see us, child?”

“I dunno,” said Inez, doubtfully.
“Youse ain’t come to take me back to me
aunt, have youse?” and she looked around for
a chance to escape. “I ain’t goin’
to live with her no more—­now I tell youse!”
and she became quite excited.

Nan sought to reassure her. “Don’t
you be afraid, honey. We wouldn’t see you
abused. We only want to help you. That is
why we have been searching for you.”

“You been huntin’ me up—­jest
to help me?” gasped Inez, in wonder.

“Of course we have,” said Bess.

“Hi!” exclaimed the flower-seller, with
an impish grin. “I reckon me aunt would
say some of yer buttons was missin’. Youse
can’t be right in the upper story,” and
she pointed to her own head to illustrate her meaning.

“Goodness!” gasped Grace. “Does
she think we are crazy because we want to do her a
kindness?”

“She’s not used to being treated with
much consideration, I am afraid,” Nan observed,
in a low voice.

“You ridiculous child!” came from Bess.
“Don’t you know that we were both interested
in you that first day? We told you we would see
you again.”